Improvement in machinery for cleaning the top cards of carding-machines



N. PETERS. FHoTo-LITMOGRAPHER. WASHXNGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE IVOODMAN, OF BIDDEFORD, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING THE TOP CARDS 0F CARDING-MACHINES.

Specification :forming part of Letters Patent No. l 8,7S7, dated December l, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE Woo'DMAN, of Biddeford, in the county of York and State of Maine, have in vented Improved Machinery for Cleansing the Top Cards of Oarding-En gines; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof, making a part of this specification.

In the said drawings, Figure I denotes atop View of the carding-machine provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is an elevation of that end of it called the driving end, or the end to which the driving-power is applied to my card-stripper. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4L is an elevation of that end of the card at which the driving-power is applied to the cardcylinder.

Other figures representing detached parts of my improvement are given in my drawings, and will be hereinafter referred to and described in giving a full delineation of my machine.

The nature of my improvement consists in the greatly-improved and perfected mechanism by which the top cards are in turn raised, cleansed, and restored to their seats and the movements of the cleanser-frame are effected.

A, represents the main frame of the card, B B a series of top cards thereof, supported on pins TV TV.

C is the main cardcylinder.

Many of the parts of the earding-machine in common use are not shown in the drawings, having no special reference to my improvement.

a and o. are two arms, which with the crossconnection bar d form a frame, which maybe called the cleansenframe, which is made to extend upward and outward from and turn freely on the boxes of the main shaft E of cylinder C, the two arms a and ct being placed outside the cylinder, seen in Figs. 2, 3, and I of the drawings.

The form and parts of arms d and a are more plainly seen in Figs. 5, G, 7, S, and 9 of the drawings, where they are represented in connection with some other parts of my imn provement.

Fig. 5 is an outside view of arm a, as also shown in Fig. i. Fig. G is a side View of said arm, as also shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an inside view of the same arm a. Fig. S is an inside view of arm a. Fig. 9 is a side view of arm d,'as seen, also, in Fig. 3.

Upon the box E of cylinder C, and outside of arm d, is placed gear Y, said gear turning freely on said box. Outside of gear Y, and extending outward along arm a, is sliding rackbar Z,which slides freely in boxes or bearings n n. There 'is projecting from the lower end of said rack-bar the round pin m,.the inner end of which works in a groove-cam cut in the outside of gear Y, while on the upper end of said bar Z is a rack of teeth, which operates pinion S on shaft D. Said shaft D is sustained in suitable bearings on arms a and d', as shown in the drawings, said pinion S being on the end of shaft D outside of arm a. Said shaft D carries two lifters, one at each end of the top cards, which litters are alike, and each of them composed of three limbs or parts connected together by joints.

The construction of said lifters are more plainly shown in Figs. ll and I2 of the drawings. Fig. ll shows an edge or side View; Fig. l2, an inside view, or as seen from the inside of the card. One limb of said lifter is arm T, as seen affixed to shaft D in the drawings. Second is connecting-link N. Third is slidingl head I with its projecting lip h. These three parts are connected together by studs or rivets forming joints. Fig. Il shows said' lifter fixed at one end to shaft D, and at the other or lower end engaging by its lip h in a top card. The same Fig. ll shows guide-bar K, suspended from shaft D, passing through sliding head I, and affixed at its lower end by a bolt to the arm of the frame, as seen in Fig. 3, said bar II forming a guide for said sliding head I. Fig. 12 represents a portion of guide-bar K removed to show the manner of joining said parts or limbs of the lifters.

In both ends of the range of top cards B B are cut grooves x a, parallel to the top or outer surface, into which grooves project lips h on the said sliding heads, said lips traversing through said grooves, and by their aid each top card is raised and depressed. 4The said shaft D also supports by means of two bent arms U U the bar V, arranged as seen in the drawings, said bar when in use having a strip of card-filleting fixed along its inner surface, and it may be termed the cleansing or brush bar.

In order to produce a reciprocating rotary motion of shaft D, I employ the said grooved cam on gear Y and the sliding rack-bar Z, the said grooved cam being formed as seen in front or outside view in Fig. 18 of the drawings. The round pin fm, projecting from the end of the rack-bar into the groove, as aforesaid, during the rotary motion of the cam, a suit-able reciprocating rectilinear motion of the rack-bar Z is produced, such being effected during the time that the pin fm is traveling in the straight and irregular parts of the groove, which straight and irregular partsare connected by a semicircular portion (marked t) of the groove, such latter portion of the groove producing no motion of said rack-bar, while the pin of said rackbar is traveling in it, (the said straight and irregular parts of said groove being marked c' t3 b 6 7c on said drawings 18.) The rack of teeth on said bar, engaging with pinion S, produces a rotary motion of shaft D whenever the pin m is traveling out ofthe semicircular part of the groove. The said lifters, being affixed to shaft D, and their several parts working freely by joints, as aforesaid, when said shaft is rotated in o ne direction, lift a top card, engaging therewith by means of lip 7L and grooves and the top card will be lifted in the direction governed by guide-rods K, which are on a line with pins W W. lVhen said shaft D is rotated in the other direction, the card is depressed to its seat, the indentation in the grooved cam at point h causing a slight depression of the top card while the pin m is traveling in said indentation. The main purpose of said indentation, however, will be hereinafter explained. It may be here observed that the pins W IV should be of sufficient length to hold the top cards steady while the act of cleansing is performed. By the same rotary, motion which lifts the top card the brush or card-bar V will be carried underneath and in contact with the topcard illeting. Th en by repeated reciprocating rotary movements of shaft D, produced by the undulations in the groove of the cam, two or more vibrations or cleansing movements are given to said brush-bar, and said bar is brought at each backward movement in thoroughconiact with the filleting of the top card, cleansing said top card not only of fibrous matter, but of dust. The said brush-bar is then, by the opposite rotary motion of said shaft D, elevated over shaft D, where it is itself cleansed by a process hereinafter described, the said opposite rotary motion also restoring the top card to its seat.

Now, in order to affect the repeated reciproeating rotary movements of shaft D, by which two or more vibrations or cleansing movements of the brush-bar are effected, I employ the undulations in the groove-cam, as follows:

Vhile the pin m in bar Z is traveling from the lsemicircular part of the groove, and through the parts t' or k, to either point 6,the` top card is raised and the bar V is carried underneath and in contact with the top-card iilleting. Then, while pin m is traveling from point 6 to point b, the bar V is withdrawn, cleansing the top card as aforesaid. While pin m is traveling from point l) to the other point 6 the bar V is again passed under and in contact with the top-card filleting; and, finally, while the pin m is traveling from the last point 6 to the semicircular portion the brush-bar is withdrawn and elevated as aforesaid, and the top card is restored to its seat. Thus, by the depression b in the groove, a short reciprocating rotary motion of shaft D is produced, and the cleansing movement` of the brush-bar is repeated. Upon the same principle, by constructing said groove with any additional number of depressions or indentations, suitably arranged, any desirable number of cleansing movements of the brush-bar may be produced.

The cross-connection bar d supports by means of two hangers f f the pan or trough F and a narrow bar g, of the same length of the pan, fixed on the edge of the pan nearest the card-stripperwhen at rest. On the upper surface of said bar is aiiixed a narrow strip of card-filleting. The brush-bar V in its return movement, after cleansing a top card, passes over said narrow bar face to face, and there rests until another movement of the rotary shaft D. At the next inovement'of the shaft D the iilleting on the brush-bar engages with the tilleting on the narrow bar, and is throughly cleansed, producing a clean brush-bar every time a top card is cleansed, and when the bar V passes over the narrow bar face to face, as aforesaid, forces and deposits the waste from said narrow bar into said pan.

There is attached to and projecting from the circular frame-work which supports the top cards the fixed, corrugated, or toothed arches R and R', as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, containing aseries of teeth corresponding in position to the series of top cards, so far as said xed arches extend, and extending the Space of eighteen andone-half top cards, or one and a half less than the whole number to be cleansed, the precise position of these arches with reference to the top cards being determined by the relative position of shaft D to gears L and L', and such as t-o allow shaft D to be over the centerof the last card in the series at either end, when said gears L L' shall have traveled off the teeth of said ixed arches. There are also traversing corrugated or toothed arches G and G', placed immediately below arches R and R and conforming thereto, the teeth of all said arches so conforming that as far as arches R and R extend gears L and L' may engage simultaneously in G and R and G' and R', the teeth of G and G' extending at each end the space of one top card beyond the teeth of R and R'. There are also at each 0f the ends of arches G and G' and beyond the teethslots or openings D and D2. Through these slots are bolts or screws fixed in the card-frame A, the heads ofv which hold the said traversing arches in place, each slot being of sufficient size or space to hold the body of such bolt or screw and allow said traversing arches to slide freely thereon the space of one top card, the purposes of said traversing arches G and G being to cause the cleanser-frame in its backward or opposite circuit to operate on the cards omitted in its previous circ-uit, (the arrangement herein particularly set forth being with a view to stripping every other top card.) There are sustained in suitable bearings in arms (t and a', which bearings are seen in Figs. G, 7, 8, and 9, shafts ll, II', and 112, which are connected together by bevelgears, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, and which shafts turn freely in said bearings. There are carried by shafts II and ll2 pinions L and L, which are made to engage in the teeth of arches R and G and R and G.

On the lower end of shaft H is fixed a pinion of peculiar shape J, as shown in Figs. 5, G, and 7 of the drawings, and more elaborately in Figs. 13, 14, and 15, which I denominate a tangentpinion or gear. About two-thirds of the circumference of said pinion is supplied with bevel-teeth, the remaining portion thereof being occupied, in place of teeth1 by a projection` or lip, the face or outer surface of which is a level plane, parallel to the line of the axis of said pinion and tangent to the circumference, thetwo corners 7 and 8 of which lip project beyond the line of the outer` circumference of said bevel-teeth, so that such line of circumference, if continued, would cut off said corners and intersect the line of said plane surface at its center or at the tangent-point.

Fig. 13 is an end View of said pinion. Fig. 1i is the plane face of said projection. Fig. 15 shows said plane face parallel to the axis of the pinion. Said pinion J is designed and arranged to engage with section of teeth 0 o on the inner side of gear Y.

Fig. 17 presents an inner or back view of gear Y, showing a section of bevel-teeth 0 0, corresponding to the teeth on pinion J and designed to operate it. Also, at each end of sect-ion of teeth o o, is one indentation or cavity (marked 9 and 10) cut on the inner face of gear Y below the base of the teeth o o and corresponding to the two projecting corners 7 and 8 (which are also bevel) on pinion J, it being understood that the portion of the inner face of gear Y which is not occupied by the teeth o o is a smooth and level surface, conforming to the smooth face of said tangent-gear J.

I will now explain how said parts are operated to produce an intermittent rotary motion of shafts ll, II, and lf2, thereby alternately moving said cleanser-frame from card to card while the lifting and stripping machinery are at rest, and holding said cleanserframe firmly in astate of rest while the lifting and strippingmachinery is in operation. The said gear Y being rotated, the plane face of said projecting lip on pinion J, bearing against the smooth and level surface of the inner side of gear Y, the said surfaces slide i freely upon each other, producing no motion of shafts Il, II', and H2, but holding said shafts firmly in a state of rest until one of the corners 7 or S on pinion J arrives at either cavity (marked 9 or 10) at either end of teeth o o, into which cavity the said corner 7 or 8 is made to follow by contact with the tooth at either end of the section, causing pinion J to rotate and its teeth to engage with the teeth of section o o, when the said teeth, having completed one engagement, the other corner of pinion J will followinto the other cavity 9 or lO, the said two plane surfaces will be again brought in contact, and one complete revolution of pinion J will have been effected. Intermittent rotary motion being' thus given to shafts I-I, I-I, and H2, gears L and L being arranged to engage in said corrugated arches, with a suitable number of teeth, as by each revolution of said gears L and Lto traverse a space on said arches correspondingtotwotopcards. Thesaidcleanserframe will thus be moved the space of twotop cards at each revolution of said gears L and L until the cleanser-frame arrives at the last top card in the series, (marked 2001i Fig. 2 of the drawings,) and in position to raise and strip said top card, at which point the gears L and L leave the teeth of fixed arches R and R ,i and the further motion of the frame in that direction is arrested by contact of the arms a and c with stops s2 and s4, which stops are fixed in the card-frame A, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and at of the drawings.y Top card 20 is then raised and the brush-bar V is passed under it. Then the movementof gear VY is reversed, top card 2O is cleansed and restored to its seat, and by the reversed action of gears L and L, said gears, now engaging in the teeth of the sliding arches alone, forcibly slide said arches t-he space of said slots D and D2, which corresponds to the space of one top card. In communicating said sliding movement the said gears L and L perform one-half a revolution, during which no movement of the cleanser-frame is effected; but said frame continues to rest against stops S2 and S". At the other half-revolution of gears L and L the said gears re-engage in the teeth of both thefixed and traversing arches, and the cleanser-frame is moved in the new or opposite direction the space of one top card or to top card 19, which is cleansed, and the operation of stripping every other card is resumed. On arrival of the cleanserframe at the other end of the series of tops gears L and L again travel off and leave the teeth of said fixed arches. The arms a and a are brought at rest in conta-ct with stops S and S3. Top card 1 is raised and the brushbar passed under as before. The motion of gear Y is again reversed. Top card 1 is cleansed and restored. Arches G and G are slid back to their former position by the first half-revolution of L and L when reversed. Said gears again engage in the teeth of both arches R and R and G and G. The frame moves to and cleauses top card 2, and the process goes on, as before stated. I will here observe that my drawings represent said arches as having two teeth to a top card, while the gears L and L are not represented as conforming thereto in number of teeth, no reference being had in making` said drawings to precision of arrangement as to the number of teeth in this 'particular instance. It must be understood, however, that the arches and gears engaging in them must be so arranged that gears L and L shall have each the same number of teeth as shall occupy a space ou the arches corresponding to two top cards (if every other card is to be stripped) or the space which the frame is to be moved at each revolution of the gears; and if it is desired to strip any proportion of the tops more or less than every other one a dierent arrangement on the principle set forth will be required.

There is placed on stud Il, projecting from the card-frame, pinion Q3, on the hub of which pinion outside of its teeth is stud-plate M. Turning freely on studs on the inside of said plate are gears Q, Q', and Q2, arranged as seen in Fig. l0 of the drawings, which gives an inside view. Fixed on the hub of pinion Q3 outside of plate M is pulley P. When mot-ion is communicated by pulleyP to gear Q3, the gearsQ and Q are rotated in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, which gears Q and Q are alternately engaged in gear Y, reversing its rotary motion as the change is made from one to the other. On the end of cylinder-shaft E, outside of gear Y, is shipping-lever M, formed as seen in Figs. 3 and l0. Attached to and extending from vthe lower end of lever M and into a notch cut in plate h between gears Q and Q is the `spring c. Fixed at the lower end of the card-frame is catch or spring q, extending upward and engaging by a lip at its upper end with plate M by means of two notches cut in said plate, as shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines. 'lhe purpose of said catch is to hold the gears Q and Q on said plat-e alternately into engagement with gear Y. When the cleanser-frame arrives at the position to be reversed, as before specified, the outer projection of stud m in bar'Z will be carried along the upper edge of' one of the curved branches of shipping-lever M, depressing said branch of said lever as said stud is borne outward, and by the action of the spring c in the notch of plate M the said plate is so moved on its pivot as to throw gear Q out of engagement and gear Q into engagement with gear Y, or vice versa, thereby reversing the rotary movement of said gear Y, and when the cleanser-frame shall arrive at the opposite end of its circuit in position to be again reversed, as before specified, the said outer end of pin m will bear down the other branch of said lever, and by corresponding means and process the motion of gear Y will be again reversed.

I do not hereby intend to claim as new the use of corrugated arches affixed to the cardframe as a means of moving the cleanserframe, the same having been claimed by me in my former Letters Patent; nor do I intend to claim as new any device or machinery which is substan tiall y described in my former Letters Patent.

Vhat I do claim as new is as follows, viz:

1. The peculiar construction and arrangement of fixed corrugated arches R and R an d traversing corrugated arches G and G', with gears L and L operating in the manner and for the purposes specified.

2. The peculiar construction and arrangement of tangent-pinion J, with section of teeth o 0 and cavities 9 and 10 at its end, operating, in combination with the plane face of gear Y, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

3. The said jointed lifters, constructed and ,operated as specified.

In testimony whereof I, the said WOODMAN, hereunto set my hand this 4th day of May, 1857.

HORACE WOODMAN. Vitnesses:

S. S. MITCHELL, Y GHAs. TwoMBLEY. 

